If you’re like most lawyers, one of your top business goals is to grow your law firm. Law firm expansion means a more profitable law practice and the ability to change the world for the better. Of course, it’s often easier said than done. Growing a law practice takes time, and that’s something most lawyers don’t have a lot of.
Practicing law is a demanding job, with relentless deadlines, demanding clients and never-ending to-dos. There’s always something on deck, and there are never enough hours in the day. This is especially true for solo and small firm lawyers, who are tasked with juggling a full caseload while simultaneously trying to run a successful law firm. Doing it all and doing it well can often feel like an impossible task.
Fortunately, there are options available that can help ease overload and reduce the administrative burden solo and small firm lawyers face. One easy way to accomplish this is to outsource nonlegal work on a full- or part-time basis. By delegating routine tasks, you’re able to focus on doing the work that truly matters: solving your clients’ problems.
Outsource your firm's receptionist services
One of the easiest functions to delegate is reception and intake services. In-office law firm receptionists aren’t typically available to answer phone calls 24/7. Because potential clients often choose firms based on their initial responsiveness, relying on an outsourced answering service to handle calls full time or during off hours simply makes sense. By outsourcing the handling of incoming calls, you’re able to increase your law firm’s responsiveness to new and current clients and remove this consequential yet tedious task from your plate.
There are many virtual receptionist services available that provide live telephone answering services for lawyers so you have lots of options to choose from. Determining the best fit will depend on your firm’s specific needs, the cost and the types of services provided. Some companies offer services specifically for lawyers, while others also assist other types of businesses. But don’t rule out the latter since those providers may nevertheless provide the functionality required at the right price.
Before we dive into the tools available, understand that because you’ll entrust your law firm’s data to a third party, your ethical obligations will require you to vet the services provider thoroughly. This duty includes ensuring you understand how your firm’s information will be handled by that company and who will have access to the data.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s take a look at some of the more popular virtual receptionist options available to lawyers. We’ll consider legal-specific services first. Note that prices will be listed if available on the company’s website.